We love these beans! They are the best tasting green bush beans we have ever come across. For the first few years we had these there were never enough to create dry shelling beans because we ate the all green. Finally we have grown enough that we can offer them for sale. These beans are awesome. The green bean is outstanding, the plants are prolific and keep on flowering and producing beans up until fall. Even when I am pulling up plants to harvest dry beans there are still some plants flowering and producing green beans. As dry beans they have a wonderful smooth creamy texture that some think is like potatoes. The lovely black and white nature of the beans gives them even more interest and although the markings fade a little during cooking they don't disappear. Often beans for dry shelling don't taste great green and vise versa this bean does it all in one package and keeps on producing. If you love bush beans this is certainly one you should try.
Description Yin Yang Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris- var. yin yang).
Strong upright annual bush bean. Slightly sprawling nature, grows to about 20"
tall with large mid green leaves. Flowers appear as soon as been reach full
height and flowers prolifically. Produces large flat green pods about 6-7"
long that contain interesting black and white beans. Flowers and beans are produced
continuously providing a prolific harvest. These are plump oval and have distinctive
markings in black and white. Many look very much like the Chinese yin yang symbol
hence the name. Others have more wavy spots which are very reminiscent of Orca
whales so some call them orca beans.
HOW TO GROW Yin Yang Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris- var. yin yang).
Location and Care.
Needs full sun good water and rich soil for best results. Grows prolifically.
Laying down a soaker hose before planting the beans is ideal way to water this
crop. Space rows at about 20 inches for easy picking. Flowering usually starts
in 35 days and green beans are produce about 12 days later. Fertilize weekly
as desired but do not use a lot of nitrogen as this will encourage leaf growth
but diminish flowers and beans.
Growing Yin Yang Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris- var. yin yang) from seed.
Need a clean well prepared bed with added mulch or organic compost dug in before
beans are planted. Beans need warm soil to germinate so plant after sun has
had time to raise soil temperature before planting. Will not germinate if soil
temperature is below 60°F. Work soil well and open a row about 1 inch deep.
Plant beans about 3 inches apart and space rows at least 20 inches apart or
more for easy picking. If conditions are right beans should sprout in about
6-8 days. They are very fast growing and reach flowering in about 35 days.
Harvesting Yin Yang Bean
Green beans. Harvest as soon as beans are full length before beans begin
to fatten in the pods
Fresh shelling. Harvest when the seeds are fully formed, but still soft
and green.
Dry beans. Harvest when pod is dry and bean cannot be dented with fingernail.
If rainy weather prevents beans from drying they can be picked and dried in
a garage on racks. These can be easily made by using a pair of saw horses and
two planks of wood with any kind of screen material between them. Even and old
bed sheet can be used.
DISEASE: Beans are subject to numerous diseases. Avoid wetting the foliage,
remove plants at the end of the year, and practice a 4-year crop rotation to
prevent potential problems.
INSECTS: Mexican bean beetles and bean weevils can significantly damage
young seedlings. Rotating crops and using good compost to ensure strong vigorous
plants helps prevent pests.
Other names.
Orca beans, Calypso beans